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Diamond painting, a craft that combines the meticulous art of mosaic with paint-by-numbers, is more than just a creative pastime—it's a gateway to meditation and stress relief. This blog explores the profound therapeutic benefits that make diamond painting a favorite activity for those seeking tranquility and a creative outlet.

Why Diamond Painting is Meditative:

Structured Creativity: Diamond painting offers a unique blend of structure and creativity. The process requires placing hundreds of tiny resins or "diamonds" onto a coded canvas, where each color has its place. This methodical process encourages a focus that mirrors meditation, pulling painters into a state of flow that clears the mind and eases stress.

Mindful Engagement: The act of picking up each diamond and finding its rightful spot is inherently meditative. It demands attention to detail, drawing the mind away from daily stresses and into the moment. This focus on the present is a core principle of mindfulness, which has been shown to reduce anxiety and improve overall mental health.

The Therapeutic Benefits:

Stress Reduction: Engaging in diamond painting can significantly detract from stressful thoughts. The repetitive motion of placing diamonds creates a rhythm that helps calm the mind, offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Cognitive Function and Concentration: The attention to detail required in diamond painting not only enhances focus and concentration but also helps improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

Emotional Satisfaction: Completing a diamond painting provides a sense of achievement and immediate gratification. As the painting progresses and the image comes to life, painters often experience a boost in mood and self-esteem.

Community Connection: Although it can be a solitary activity, diamond painting also offers opportunities to connect with a broader community. Sharing finished pieces, tips, and experiences online or in workshops fosters a sense of belonging and mutual support among crafters.

Who Can Benefit?

Everyone from art enthusiasts to those looking for a relaxing hobby can enjoy the benefits of diamond painting. It's particularly beneficial for:

• Individuals seeking stress relief
• Those looking to enhance their mindfulness practices
• Art therapists using creative mediums for treatment
• Elderly individuals who want to maintain fine motor skills and cognitive function
• Young adults and children in educational settings where focus and attention are being developed

Diamond painting is not just about creating a beautiful piece of art; it's about the journey of creating it. This journey offers a therapeutic escape that nurtures the mind, body, and soul, making it a perfect activity for anyone seeking a serene diversion from their daily routine.

If you’re intrigued by the soothing power of diamond painting, explore our collection and start your journey to relaxation and creativity today.

With all my artsy love, Catherine, Untitled Artisan

What Is 5D Diamond Painting?

Diamond painting is a calming hobby that has quickly become newest trending craft project.  It’s a relatively new art form based on a century-old practice of rhinestone/beaded paintings.  5D Diamond Painting utilizes technology to break down images into patterns, and it’s similar to cross stitching.  Small, shiny diamonds (beads/drills) are applied to a sticky canvas to create a work of art!

Rhinestones which are often called diamonds or drills are matched to a coded DMC color code and are 2.5mm in size. Multi-faceted and extremely shiny angles create an incredible sparkle when viewed from different angles.  The two major shapes are round and square, but there a variety of special shapes that are used to accent certain paintings.  The bottom side of each diamond is flat and made to be stuck to the canvas.  Diamonds (rhinestones) are either opaque with shiny surfaces (facets) or translucent (they’re called crystals, but not made of crystal) which allows light to shine through each diamond.  While the opaque variety is more popular, the translucent shimmer crystal-gem style paintings are gaining popularity!  Additionally, there are paintings that feature "special" gems that can be a wide range of shapes and sizes, often used to accent the painting.

Each kit comes with a variety of tools (depending on the company you purchase from).  These toolkits often contain a sorting tray, tweezers, a pen tool, baggies, and a wax pad (used for lightly holding the diamonds to the tool itself).  While some companies include most of the above-mentioned items, they vary,  The good news is that the tools last for a long time, so if you purchase a kit that doesn't include one of these items you’ll most likely already have some laying around from previous kits.  Most kits include a "diamond legend" sheet that lists the Shape/Color/Amount of drills.

It doesn’t stop there for tools!  There is a wide range of specialty tools that many artisans prefer.  An example of these specialty tools can be found HERE.  While not necessary, they can provide additional comfort, speed, and peace of mind.  

There are many types of 5D kits to choose from, but there are 3 major types.  Partial Drill, Full Drill, and Multi-paneled kits.

1. Partial Drill Kits - Diamonds covering only a partial portion of the painting.

Each canvas is printed using high definition printing techniques, but only some of them feature paintings with diamonds that cover the entire canvas.  Symbols are printed onto the painting indicating where to place the diamonds.  Often times it’s the “featured subject” that is highlighted as the background is left without diamonds allowing the HD printing to show through.

2. Full Drill Kits - Diamonds covering the entire painting.

These kits are printed with symbols on the entire canvas.  The adhesive covers the full image and it’s best to work in small sections as full drill paintings require a lot of time and patience to complete.  The end result of a full drill painting will often cause onlookers to fall in love with aesthetic and hobby in general.

3. Multi-Paneled Kits - Partial OR Full Drill Paintings that include more than one painting to complete the final piece.

These kits are much like the above mentioned but feature multiple panels that are used to create a larger picture.  This allows for creative decorating ideas, large passion projects, and hours of mind-calming fun.

The canvases themselves are made of a vast array of materials.

The diamond painting kits supplied by Untitled Artisan are each marked within their description.  Each painting is clearly labeled at the top as to the shape of the drill, the coverage area of the painting, and your choices of sizes. 

While the smaller sizes are cheaper, and more beginner friendly, you’ll likely want to choose a larger size for more detail.  Once you’ve done a larger size painting, you’ll have a very hard time going back to the smaller choices!

One of the true joys of diamond painting is that you produce beautiful artwork while nurturing your mind and body.  You’re creating a gorgeous work of art (oftentimes as a gift) that continues to calm, ease, and grow your mind as you progress.  Paint by diamonds is like a puzzle, coloring book, bedazzle, word search, and meditation session all rolled into one hobby!  

The benefits of this hobby are endless.  The friendships and relationships that are formed, the community of like-minded artisans, the love!  The calming ease that washes over your body about 10 minutes after you start that you don’t even realize hit you because you’re so absorbed in this wonderful hobby.

We’ve created a detailed “How-To” HERE that will guide you through the first moments of your 5D journey.  

If you have questions, you can ask our community HERE

Click HERE to shop our most popular selection of premium 5D diamond painting kits.

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5D Painting - A Deeper Look Into Why It's So Fun!

This 5D painting blog is a bit different than previous blogs. Here we will look at a collection of the insights and thoughts that I've had concerning this addictive and pleasurable hobby. More of a "personal blog" and I hope that you enjoy it.

Being a huge 5D fan, myself, I've had a lot of time to think while placing those tiny diamonds in their proper spots. It's my nature to turn things around in my head and try to stand outside of "myself" and see what is actually happening.

As I sift through diamonds, hunt for their proper spots, work on one small meticulous section at a time I wonder "What is it about this hobby that makes it SO fun?".

It's not just me!

Every day I talk to 10's of 100's of people that are absolutely excited, every day, to work on their 5D projects. I've shown it to people in everyday life, let them try it, and many are instantly hooked! Hours after a friend had left, I've received a text saying "I wish I had stayed there and kept working on the painting".

I hear stories of hands going numb, eyes going blurry, people changing around their entire dining room, and hours going by without realizing it from 5D painting. Most of us amass a stack of paintings while we work on ONE. We are anxiously awaiting our next project while still enjoying the current one we're working on. We're art collectors of sorts. I personally have a stack that is awaiting diamonds and videos made of each painting. It's a lot of work, but it's not work at all! Isn't that how you know you've found something you truly love? It's love when something is time-consuming and meticulous, difficult, yet you're still anxious to get started. It feels like you've found greatness.

Why? What is it exactly about this relatively new hobby that makes it so pleasurable, mind soothing, and exciting?

While working on my latest 5D Kit, I did my best to observe all the things that made me happy about it. The way the "snap" of the square diamond fitting into place satisfied me. The way that completing a section made me feel "progress". The way it "comes to life" as I make progress and start to see the shimming painting in it's finished form.

More than those things, though, there was a sense that I was doing a word search puzzle, a paint-by-numbers painting, a "where's Waldo" hunting game, an actual acrylic painting, and even a connect the dots puzzle at times.

When I'm hunting for a specific number/symbol, I notice it's like I'm finding all the objects in a hidden object style game. Looking for that specific color, blurring out all the others, until I've covered every last one. Realizing I've found every single one in that section is satisfying, and I'm immediately on to hunting down the next color! I've noticed myself repeating the numbers and shapes in my thoughts in an almost meditative, mantra-like fashion. Am I meditating while I 5D paint? I suppose I am!

Having experience in an array of art projects in the past, 5D was a natural choice for me. All the hours I've worked on my own art have adjusted me to enjoy the process of an involved art project. The patience needed (not everyone I've shown 5D paintings thought it looked fun!), the meticulous hand-eye coordination, enjoying the process as much as the finished product, are all part of the fun!

There is also an obsessive quality to the hobby as a whole. I notice literally craving 5D painting. Using the "excuse" of making YouTube videos for Untitled Artisan to do 5D paintings whenever I can, because it's something I can't wait to do! Not only do I want to do the paintings, but I want to collect them like baseball cards. Finding myself shopping for my next painting (or 5), deciding where I want to display them, how I want to frame them, and if I'm going to have enough wall space in the house to decorate! Have you ever worked on a painting for so long that when you went to bed, you still had symbols/numbers/diamonds inside of your eyelids? I have, many times. Waking up in the middle of the night, I've actually realized I was doing it in my dreams! Incredible.

The shared experience is a big part of it too. I want to show people my paintings and progress. In person, on forums, in Facebook groups, it just begs me to share it. Asking for tips, finding out the secrets, and connecting with the people that share my appreciation for this magical hobby. the connection it has brought to everyone involved is inspiring. I've heard such incredible, inspiring stories, and it's because I've found the community of fellow DIY artisans. If you haven't started a YouTube channel and you're a 5D painter, I strongly advise you give it a shot! It's fun, connects you with incredible people, and adds to that sense of accomplishment as you work on your painting. Untitled Arisan has met the majority of our best friends through YouTube, so we cannot say enough good things about connecting with real people that love the same Dotz paintings!

People in "everyday" life know me as the 5D painting guy because I share it constantly. Friends, family members, bank tellers, eye doctors, you name it! If you come over to visit my home, there is a 5D painting in progress, waiting for you to help. Often times with a camera set up to do time lapses, so that I can capture the fun. Everyone in my life knows it, and are becoming addicted as well. I've had people say "I just want to keep hanging out and working on this!", when they're late to be elsewhere. It's exciting, adorable, and magical to me.

5D painting is more than most people see at first glance. It's a combination of collecting, sharing, progressing, creating, meditating and connecting that make it pure magic. A magic that we are trying to share with the entire world. If you've read this far, you're a true artisan and I thank you.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it and let me know what you think of this style of blog. It's a bit different! Comment below with comments, suggestions, or critiques!

Come connect with us on Facebook!

Sending our love,
Jon (Mike)
Untitled Artisan

Cralopix is a fantastic YouTuber and we're excited to have her in our blog spotlight this week.  She's an extremely crafty 5D artist that does a fantastic job of chronicling her projects, giving incredible tips/advice, and being a generally warm and inviting personality that is a joy to watch. We hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with a true authority in 5D painting. 

Q:  Tell us a little about yourself.  How old are you?  Where do you live?  What are you interested in?  Any other talents we should know about?

"I'm just a girl from Chicago living in Australia. When I'm not crafting, I'm developing games. I actually enjoy watching movies or listening to music whilst I do diamond painting."

Q:  How did you first hear about 5D Diamond painting?

"I first saw diamond painting at a frame shop in a local shopping center. I was very curious and went in to ask about it. Fortunately, they had a demo and I had a chance to try diamond painting first hand. I was hooked from that moment." 

Q:  How long have you been creating YouTube videos?  What inspired you to start?

"I started my channel about a year and a half ago. I just wanted to show people different crafts available and hopefully give some inspiration to those wanting to try something new.  It has since morphed into mostly diamond painting and has been one of my favorite crafts since."

Q:  How often do you post videos?

 "I post every Monday!"

Q:  What are your ultimate dreams for your YouTube channel?

"I would love for my channel to become the number 1 inspiration for others to pick up diamond painting, to learn new tips and tricks to complete them and to have a like-minded community to share the obsession with."

Q:  How many Diamond Paintings have you finished? 

I have completed 6 diamond paintings to date and working on #7, Alice In Wonderland:

Q:  What's the biggest sized painting you've finished?

"It would have to be the peacock that I recently finished. It was 180 x 75cm. It was epic!"   See it here:

Q:  Your preference - Partial Drill or Full Drill?  Square Diamonds or Round Diamonds? 

"I definitely prefer full drill and square diamonds are currently topping my chart. Though I can't wait to try a painting with special sized diamonds." 

Q:  What is one (or more) pro tips you have for beginning 5D painters?

"Use resealable containers to store your WIP diamonds and having a rolling pin is great to press down the diamonds when you complete a section. Don't forget to take a break and stretch!"

Q:  Are you a member of any 5D Facebook groups?  If so, which?

" I've created the Cralopix Show and Tell group. Members have been sharing progress pics, tips and wish lists. Everyone has been so warm, supportive and posted some really interesting pieces. Join us!"

(Click the image above or this LINK to join the community!)

Q:  What is another exciting hobby (or few)  that you're most interested in trying or retrying?  Why?

" I really want to do more PixelHobby. I adore pixel art and that is another great medium for it."

Q:  What do you think of Untitled Artisan?

"I think it is a fabulous site. Very easy to get lost as you want to click on so many cool items! I'm eyeing a few diamond paintings from the site myself! Great job!"

We're humbled that Cralopix joined us on this interview.  We encourage you to visit her wonderful channel, join the facebook group and become part of her growing community of fans.  Her voice is as sweet as syrup and her content is some of the best around!

We stumbled upon Diamond Mama on our adventures through YouTube and we're happy we did!  She's an absolute joy and quite the prolific 5D artisan.  We requested an interview and she accepted.  Make sure to check out her up and coming YouTube channel for tips, tricks, advice, and all things 5D Diamonds.  

Q:  Tell us a little about yourself.  How old are you?  Where do you live?  What are you interested in?  Any other talents we should know about?

"My name is Ashley Smith, Smith is my married name.  I am 29 years old as of February 7th of this year.  I live in a medium size town in Ohio.  My occupation is staying home with my one-year-old son and two dogs.

"My favorite hobbies are reading, drawing, paint by number, scrapbooking, all kinds of DIY, and of course my newest and most favorite hobby by far Diamond Painting."

"My family is wonderful, my husband is the best. He supports everything I do and is the reason why I got the courage to start my YouTube channel. We together have a beautiful one-and-a-half-year-old son."

"I like all kinds of music, anything I can understand and that doesn’t repeat themselves is fine by me."

"The first talents that cross my mind are that I can make a DIY project out of almost anything, and I have a great amount of patience." 

Q:  How did you first hear about 5D Diamond painting?

"I first heard about Diamond painting in November 2017. I found my first painting online. A partial named Beautiful Girl." 

Q:  How long have you been creating YouTube videos?  What inspired you to start?

"I have been making YouTube videos for only a short while. I started making them In January of 2018. Once I fell in love with Diamond Painting I wanted to show the world this hobby. I saw what Diamond Painting was doing for me and wanted to share it with everyone. While Diamond Painting I felt relaxed and stress-free, I felt a sense of excitement and accomplishment watching my picture come to life. YouTube was the only way I could think of to show the world this wonderful hobby, and talk about the wonderful things that a person could feel while doing them."

Q:  How often do you post videos?

"I post a video every weekend. On some weekends I will post two (2). If someone has an idea about a video, I will make the video and post it along with the product review video."

Q:  What are your ultimate dreams for your YouTube channel?

"My ultimate dream for my YouTube channel is for as many people to watch my video and try Diamond Painting. I also want people to watch my videos and know the websites and stores that will do right by the customer and not just themselves."

Q:  How many Diamond Paintings have you finished? 

"All together I have twenty-three (23) Diamonds Paintings. Ten (10) that I have finished, I still have ten (10) that are started or still in the box waiting to be free and three (3) that are still on their way to me."

Q:  What's the biggest sized painting you've finished?

"The biggest Diamond Painting that I have done is a 40x40cm, but I’m working on a 45x60cm and a 50x65cm. The smallest I have done is 25x25cm."

Q:  Your preference - Partial Drill or Full Drill?  Square Diamonds or Round Diamonds? 

"My favorite Diamond Paintings are the full square drills. I do like the circle drills and will definitely do them, same with partials. I love all Diamond Paintings, but the full square drills are by far my favorite." 

Q:  What is one (or more) pro tips you have for beginning 5D painters?

"My tips for Diamond Painting are to be patient and work one section at a time. I found it better to keep the paper rather than cutting it off so that way your painting won’t get dirt or hair on it. I also found it to be easier to put all my diamonds in containers with a label of some kind on them. (I use a permanent marker and rubbing alcohol). A backlight is not something you need, but it is definitely something that will help you out a lot. (I don’t know how I did m paintings before I got my light) Also taping the edge of your paintings will help out too. I would always stick to the bottom and sides until I started using washi tape. It’s easy to stick on and it peels right off without bringing any diamonds (drills) with it."

Q:  Are you a member of any 5D Facebook groups?  If so, which?

"Yes, I am apart of many 5D Facebook groups. I am apart of so many that it would take up the whole pages just to name them. I am in groups from the USA as well as groups from different counties."

Q:  What is another exciting hobby (or few)  that you're most interested in trying or retrying?  Why?

"After seeing all of the beautiful Diamond Paintings, I started to see a few paint by numbers. I always did paint by numbers as a kid, but as I became a teenager hanging out with friends became my new fun thing to do. Now that it is just my family and I the hobby of paint by number is coming back into life and I can’t wait to get started with them again. I am waiting on two (2) paint by numbers to come in the mail as I type this."

Q:  What do you think of Untitled Artisan?

"The website Untitled Artisan is amazing. I love all the Diamond Paintings, paint by numbers, and all the other stuff they have to offer. I love that you can get everything you need (and want) all from one website. My favorite part about Untitled Artisan is that everything got started all because of a single dream. Anyone can start a business, but to build a business because it’s your dream that says more to me than anything. The hard work, dedication, and passion it took to make his dream become a thriving business is amazing to me. I love the website and all that Untitled Artisan has to offer."

We're excited that Diamond Mama accepted our invitation to be featured in our spotlight.  We hope you check out her channel and show her some love!  Visit her Channel HERE or by clicking any of the pictures above.

This is our walkthrough of how to begin on your 5D Diamond painting adventure.  It's a fairly simple hobby, but it helps to have some advice to start.  Take time, read through the steps, and get an overview of the entire process!

-Setup-

Step 1.  Purchase your kit

Most kits will contain the following: a pre-printed canvas, flat-backed diamonds, a tray, a pen-like tool, and a packet of gel or wax. 

Kit's typically feature either square or round diamond shapes.  A painting labeled "full drill" is an entire covered canvas of diamonds, "half drill" indicates that there are segments of the painting without diamonds.  

Review your chart and legend thoroughly before beginning. The packages of diamonds are labeled with the color name or number, but it might help to also label the bag with the symbol used for that color. This will help you quickly identify the correct color as you work.

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Step 2.  Understand how to read the canvas 

The canvas is composed of tiny boxes that are colored and labeled with numbers, much like a cross-stitch canvas. Each number corresponds to a diamond color.

The numbers are written on a chart, with the corresponding bag and diamond color written below or next to it. The chart is typically printed on the side of the canvas.  In this picture, the bag number is 15 - The color number is 720 - and the chart says 720 is an orange O!  

• Some squares may contain a letter or symbol instead; treat this as a number.

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Step 3.  Unroll the canvas and tape it down to a flat surface

If the canvas won't lay flat, roll it back the other way, then unroll it. Spread it down onto a flat surface, then secure the edges with masking tape.  

• This project can be time-consuming. Consider taping the canvas to a board, which you can move out of the way easily.  We like to use canvas board sold at most arts and crafts stores.

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Step 4.  Peel back part of the plastic covering on the canvas

Do not peel all of the plastic away; 1 to 2 inches(2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) will be plenty. Run your fingernail along the plastic to crease it so that it doesn't roll forwards.

• Some kits come with pre-cut plastic strips. In this case, simply peel the first strip off.

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Step 5. Pour out your first crystal color into the tray. 

Take a look at the patch of canvas you just exposed. Choose a box to start with, and note the number in it. Look the number up on the chart, then find the bag with the same number. Open up the bag, and pour out some of the crystals onto the tray that came with your kit.

• Some kits come with multiple trays. You can use the other trays for the other colors in that section.

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-Applying the diamonds-

Step 1. Dip your pen tool into the gel or wax that came with your kit. 

Open up the packet of gel that came with your kit. Dip the narrow end of the pen into the gel/wax to pick some up. This will make it possible for the pen to pick up the crystals.

• Some kits come with a special wax pencil that you have to sharpen instead. In this case, sharpen the pencil using a pencil sharpener.
• Some pens will have a wide end too, which you can use to pick up to three crystals at one time.

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Step 2. Use the pen to pick up a crystal. 

Gently press the tip of the pen against the top, faceted part of the crystal. Lift the pen away from the tray; the crystal should be stuck to it.

• Keep the tray just below the edge of your canvas; this will make it easier to access.

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Step 3. Gently press the crystal against the corresponding square. 

Pull the pen away; the crystal should be stick against the canvas. If you are just starting out, it might be a good idea to press lightly at first. This way, if the crystal is off-set, you can nudge it back into place, then press down on it to secure it.

• This is exactly like painting by number, except that you are using crystals instead.

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Step 4. Fill the rest of the squares in that section. 

Work one color at a time and refill the pen with gel as needed. When you finish filling in all the squares with the same number code, move onto the next color. This will help you work faster and stay organized.

• Avoid resting your hand on the canvas; the more you touch the sticky surface, the less tacky it will become.

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Step 5.  Peel away more of the plastic covering, and fill in more squares. 

Continue filling the canvas in using the same technique as before. Work in 1 to 2-inch (2.54 to 5.08-centimeter) wide sections, one color at a time. When you completely fill in a section, move onto the next one.

• Do not peel the entire plastic covering away, or the adhesive on the canvas will get dirty and lose its tack.

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 -Finishing your work-

Step 1. Cover the canvas with the plastic sheet that it came with. 

If you discarded the sheet, you can cover it with a piece of paper or parchment paper; avoid using wax paper.

Step 2. Go over the canvas with a rolling pin. 

This will press down any loose diamonds and secure them. If you don't have a rolling pin, you can use a can or jar instead. You can also gently rub the canvas with your hands instead.

Step 3. Stack some heavy books on top of the canvas overnight. 

This will help further adhere the diamonds to the canvas and ensure that they bond properly. If you don't have any books large enough to cover the canvas, you can use another flat, heavy object, such as a box or cutting board.

Step 4. Peel the tape away. 

Lift the books off first, then peel the plastic covering off. Peel the tape from the corners of the canvas. Do not trim the excess canvas way, as this may cause the fabric to fray.

Step 5. Frame the canvas. 

Remove the glass from the frame first, then insert the canvas into the frame. Fold the excess edges down, then place the backing into place. Leave the glass out, as it will only dull down the diamonds' sparkle.

• For a fancier touch, place the canvas behind a mat first; this will give the canvas an additional border within the frame. Choose a color that complements the diamonds.

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